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Understanding Male Sexuality:
All the Information you Did Not Learn From your Parents, Your Friends or in Your High School Sex Education Class!
Preface
This information is intended for those who wish to learn more about male sexuality--particularly information about topics that are considered to be too complicated, controversial or perhaps too embarrassing to discuss. The topics discussed here are loosely based on my responses to several hundred e-mail questions that have dealt with a variety of complicated but interesting issues related to male sexuality.
Basic Plumbing and Electrical
A suitable starting point is to begin with a discussion of how the basic plumbing and electrical system of male sexuality works. The plumbing and electrical system is complex, but very well designed for its purpose. Medical doctors refer to the electrical system consisting of the portions of the brain governing male sexual response and the associated nerve system as the limbic system. This electrical system connected to the plumbing system--a series of arteries and veins that control the inflow and outflow of blood to and from the penis, and also is connected via nerves to assorted glands.
Arousal, Erection and Ejaculation
Men often tend to consider these together, but, in reality they are separate but interrelated events, although ultimately related to each other. Any of these events can occur in the absence of the others
The Arousal Mechanism
Suppose that a man encounters something that excites him sexually. (more about what this might be later on). What happens? First, of course, messages are transmitted to the portion of the brain dedicated to sexual response. The man says to himself "I'm turned on" which is slang for sexual arousal. Many men believe that sexual arousal is always accompanied by an erection, but this is not necessarily the case at this first stage. The experience of being aroused is followed by electrical signals to two tiny glands that lie along the sides of the urethra where the tube that leads from the bladder through the tip of the penis. These two glands, called the Cowper's glands, are located inside the body directly above a point behind the scrotum called the perineum.
These little-recognized glands play a role in the male sexual response. They are primarily responsible for the production of glistening drops of a clear, slippery fluid sometimes called pre-ejaculate, but known also in slang as "ooze" or "precum". For many men, if not most, the first physical indication of sexual arousal is the formation of a drop or two of this fluid at the tip of the penis, even before erection occurs. Some men believe that when this fluid appears, they are already starting to leak ejaculate but this is not the case. This fluid acts as a lubricant for sperm and semen and lubricates the tip of the penis in sexual intercourse. It's pH level is quite high and it is very slippery. Research suggests that the high pH may help decrease the acidity of the vagina, thereby increasing the chance that the sperm will be able to fertilize the egg. Nature is very creative; it thinks of everything. Nature is at its very best whencreating systems to ensure the continuation of the species, and the human system is one of its best and most elaborate efforts. The sexual arousal section of the brain sends signals to the cowper's glands (sometimes called the bulbourethral glands) telling them go into action. This is an automatic result of sexually-exciting stimuli, and thus outside of conscious control: the only way to stop it's production is to avoid the stimulus that is causing the sexual arousal.
These glands are present in many other mammals including the common livestock species. An internet resource dealing with the reproductive system of bulls, for example, indicates that the cowper's gland also secretes a similar clear fluid which is produced (and drips off the end of the bull's penis) during initial sexual arousal! Again, a function of the fluid is to reduce the acidity of the urethra, increasing the chance that sperm will survive.
A number of other things happen during the early stages of sexual arousal. First the man suddenly feels very good, psychologically. During arousal, the brain is flooded with natural chemicals that act similarly to drugs such as cocaine. These natural chemicals, called endorphins, make the man say to himself that whatever is causing the sexual arousal is very enjoyable and should be continued. If the sexual response is the result of observing another person, the man may make an effort to meet the other person involved.
Nature protects itself here and is very cunning. Nature's goal is to continue the species. If this is to occur, it's important that sexually attractive mates elicit a response that maximizes the chance that the two people involved will become better acquainted and perhaps eventually engage in sexual intercourse. (In case you were wondering, the arousal mechanism works identically for gay males, but the object of the sexual attraction here, is, of course, another male.)
Most men will produce pre-ejaculate when anything found to be sexually exciting occurs, perhaps even reading a sexually explicit story or watching a sexually explicit movie. The reason erotic books and videos sell well is because it often elicits this response in men along with feelings of psychological well-being, whether or not they have erections ultimately result in orgasm.
There is no limit to the length of time that a man can be aroused, and throughout the man can continue to produce drops of pre-ejaculate. Pre- ejaculate may, of occasion, contain some sperm, and a woman can become pregnant even if actual orgasm and ejaculation does not take place. That is rare, although there are cases of this happening.
All the Information you Did Not Learn From your Parents, Your Friends or in Your High School Sex Education Class!
Preface
This information is intended for those who wish to learn more about male sexuality--particularly information about topics that are considered to be too complicated, controversial or perhaps too embarrassing to discuss. The topics discussed here are loosely based on my responses to several hundred e-mail questions that have dealt with a variety of complicated but interesting issues related to male sexuality.
Basic Plumbing and Electrical
A suitable starting point is to begin with a discussion of how the basic plumbing and electrical system of male sexuality works. The plumbing and electrical system is complex, but very well designed for its purpose. Medical doctors refer to the electrical system consisting of the portions of the brain governing male sexual response and the associated nerve system as the limbic system. This electrical system connected to the plumbing system--a series of arteries and veins that control the inflow and outflow of blood to and from the penis, and also is connected via nerves to assorted glands.
Arousal, Erection and Ejaculation
Men often tend to consider these together, but, in reality they are separate but interrelated events, although ultimately related to each other. Any of these events can occur in the absence of the others
The Arousal Mechanism
Suppose that a man encounters something that excites him sexually. (more about what this might be later on). What happens? First, of course, messages are transmitted to the portion of the brain dedicated to sexual response. The man says to himself "I'm turned on" which is slang for sexual arousal. Many men believe that sexual arousal is always accompanied by an erection, but this is not necessarily the case at this first stage. The experience of being aroused is followed by electrical signals to two tiny glands that lie along the sides of the urethra where the tube that leads from the bladder through the tip of the penis. These two glands, called the Cowper's glands, are located inside the body directly above a point behind the scrotum called the perineum.
These little-recognized glands play a role in the male sexual response. They are primarily responsible for the production of glistening drops of a clear, slippery fluid sometimes called pre-ejaculate, but known also in slang as "ooze" or "precum". For many men, if not most, the first physical indication of sexual arousal is the formation of a drop or two of this fluid at the tip of the penis, even before erection occurs. Some men believe that when this fluid appears, they are already starting to leak ejaculate but this is not the case. This fluid acts as a lubricant for sperm and semen and lubricates the tip of the penis in sexual intercourse. It's pH level is quite high and it is very slippery. Research suggests that the high pH may help decrease the acidity of the vagina, thereby increasing the chance that the sperm will be able to fertilize the egg. Nature is very creative; it thinks of everything. Nature is at its very best whencreating systems to ensure the continuation of the species, and the human system is one of its best and most elaborate efforts. The sexual arousal section of the brain sends signals to the cowper's glands (sometimes called the bulbourethral glands) telling them go into action. This is an automatic result of sexually-exciting stimuli, and thus outside of conscious control: the only way to stop it's production is to avoid the stimulus that is causing the sexual arousal.
These glands are present in many other mammals including the common livestock species. An internet resource dealing with the reproductive system of bulls, for example, indicates that the cowper's gland also secretes a similar clear fluid which is produced (and drips off the end of the bull's penis) during initial sexual arousal! Again, a function of the fluid is to reduce the acidity of the urethra, increasing the chance that sperm will survive.
A number of other things happen during the early stages of sexual arousal. First the man suddenly feels very good, psychologically. During arousal, the brain is flooded with natural chemicals that act similarly to drugs such as cocaine. These natural chemicals, called endorphins, make the man say to himself that whatever is causing the sexual arousal is very enjoyable and should be continued. If the sexual response is the result of observing another person, the man may make an effort to meet the other person involved.
Nature protects itself here and is very cunning. Nature's goal is to continue the species. If this is to occur, it's important that sexually attractive mates elicit a response that maximizes the chance that the two people involved will become better acquainted and perhaps eventually engage in sexual intercourse. (In case you were wondering, the arousal mechanism works identically for gay males, but the object of the sexual attraction here, is, of course, another male.)
Most men will produce pre-ejaculate when anything found to be sexually exciting occurs, perhaps even reading a sexually explicit story or watching a sexually explicit movie. The reason erotic books and videos sell well is because it often elicits this response in men along with feelings of psychological well-being, whether or not they have erections ultimately result in orgasm.
There is no limit to the length of time that a man can be aroused, and throughout the man can continue to produce drops of pre-ejaculate. Pre- ejaculate may, of occasion, contain some sperm, and a woman can become pregnant even if actual orgasm and ejaculation does not take place. That is rare, although there are cases of this happening.